Three years after our breakup, you came back to China, and I'm just giving up. Why are you cryi

"So, how is the company handling this now?" Lu Hao's voice was a little hoarse, and it also revealed a sense of helplessness.

Lin Ran leaned back in her chair, her body lines revealing a sense of exhaustion.

She raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, her gaze falling on Lu Hao's face with a complicated expression: "Wang Ba is under all the pressure. He warned me that no matter whether we leaked this information or not, we must insist that we knew nothing about it."

Lu Hao's gaze became somewhat vacant.

It's obvious that Vice President Li's side is using this as an excuse to cause trouble.

That old man was already resentful that his son hadn't gotten the manager position, and now that such a big thing has happened, wouldn't he try to pin all the blame on Lin Ran?

He felt ridiculously naive.

He had initially thought Lin Ran would shift all the blame onto him, the former employee. But he forgot that Lin Ran was his direct supervisor. How could she, as the leader, escape unscathed when her subordinate committed such a heinous crime? She couldn't escape responsibility.

Fortunately, Wang Ba is holding the fort.

Lu Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as there was no direct evidence, no matter how much Vice President Li acted, he couldn't touch Lin Ran.

After all, when he gave the plan to Xiao Xiyue, it was flawless.

After leaving the restaurant, the two walked silently to the roadside.

The night breeze was cool, and Lin Ran didn't say anything more, walking straight to his car.

The car door opened, and she got in. Before closing the door, she took a deep look at Lu Hao through the car window, her eyes filled with weariness and helplessness.

With a "bang," the car door slammed shut.

Watching the car merge into the traffic and disappear into the night, Lu Hao felt a tightness in his chest.

Hopefully, this matter won't change too much.

Wang Ba, he should be able to withstand this pressure.

Back in his rented room, Lu Hao stood under the showerhead, letting the hot water wash over his body.

As the steam rose, much of the tangled mess in his mind was washed away, but the heavy sense of responsibility became even clearer.

He sat down in front of the computer wrapped in a bath towel, the cold light from the screen reflecting on his serious face.

He stopped thinking about the company struggles he couldn't control, and instead opened the local job posting website, quickly typing on the keyboard and posting a job ad.

First, establish the company.

In this world, it's better to rely on yourself than on others.

Only when you are strong enough can you truly solve problems.

In case... in case Lin Ran really loses her job because of this, this place can be her fallback plan.

……

Several days passed by in the blink of an eye.

Lu Hao and Li Xu finalized the contract, and he will officially start working once the company opens.

Su Yu and Xiao Xiyue would occasionally chat on Green Bubble, but the conversation was neither particularly interesting nor uninteresting.

As for Lin Ran, the two haven't been in contact since that meal, as if they're deliberately keeping their distance.

On the contrary, Zhou Mengmeng sent a message to report on the filming progress. She was very happy and said that the effect was surprisingly good, and it was a sure thing that she would replace the previous minor star.

Ning Shu continued to leave early and return late, and the two rarely saw each other even after several days.

That afternoon, Lu Hao received a call from Qin Shou.

"Hey Lao Lu, got a free time? Let's grab a drink tonight!" The voice on the other end of the phone was cheerful.

"Hey kid, are you done with the wedding preparations?"

"That's enough, let's go outside and talk."

"Okay, see you at the usual place."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Hao took a shower and changed into clean clothes.

When I got downstairs, the sky was terribly overcast, with a light drizzle falling, and dark clouds rolling in the distance, as if they were about to swallow the entire sky.

Lu Hao glanced at it only once before walking to the side of the road and hailing a car.

Mochou Bar.

Lu Hao walked to his usual spot in the corner, where Qin Shouzhen and the proprietress, Mo Li, were chatting casually.

"Oh, what a rare guest! Our handsome Lu has finally deigned to show his face." Molly's eyes sparkled as she saw Lu Hao, and she teased, "What's wrong? Have you been cultivating your character and reforming yourself lately?"

"I guess so." Lu Hao shrugged, offering no further explanation, and picked up a can of beer from the table, opened it, and took a big gulp.

"Alright, I won't disturb you two brothers' reminiscing. I'm going to get back to work." Seeing that he wasn't in high spirits, Molly tactfully got up and swayed away.

Qin Shou took out a pack of unopened cigarettes from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and tossed the whole pack over.

Lu Hao took it, played with it in his hand, and without making a purchase, remarked, "Wow, this is more upscale now."

"Go get one from my trunk later," Qin Shou said with an air of affluence.

Lu Hao shook his head, knocked out a cigarette, lit it, took a drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I'm a cheapskate, I still prefer to smoke junk cigarettes."

Qin Shou chuckled and scolded, then changed the subject, saying, "Remember what I told you last time about Jiang Yun's best friend, the bridesmaid?"

"Huh, what's wrong?"

"I showed your photo to Jiang Yun, and her best friend saw it and said she really likes you. So, what do you think?"

"You've done a great job matchmaking."

"Absolutely! Seriously, have you considered it? She owns her own company, has a solid financial background, and I've heard her family has some government connections. A true 'rich, beautiful, and successful' woman!"

Lu Hao didn't say anything, and silently took two more puffs of his cigarette.

The conditions Qin Shou mentioned were like a huge pie.

Jiang Yun's best friend...a wealthy heiress with an official background.

If I really manage to climb that ladder, I'll not only avoid taking twenty years of detours, it'll be like riding a rocket.

Even his fledgling small company received tremendous support.

No matter how you look at it, this is an offer that a normal man cannot refuse.

Thinking about his current situation and the potential crisis Lin Ran might face, Lu Hao suddenly felt that it was time to plan his future properly.

He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and looked up. "Okay, when should we meet?"

"At my wedding on the 15th of next month."

……

After making the appointment with Qin Shou, Lu Hao declined his offer to drive him home and walked alone on the slightly chilly street.

A bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky, followed immediately by a deafening boom overhead.

A sudden gust of wind arose, causing the roadside trees to sway wildly and creak loudly.

Pedestrians on the street quickened their pace and scattered in all directions.

Lu Hao lost interest in continuing to wander around and walked to the roadside, ready to hail a cab to go home.

A taxi with its "For hire" sign on was driving towards him and was about to stop when a Porsche suddenly glided over and stopped in front of Lu Hao.

Immediately afterward, the passenger window rolled down, and Xiao Xiyue's cold voice rang out, "Get in the car."

Lu Hao touched his nose, but didn't refuse. He opened the car door and got in.

The taxi driver watched in disbelief as his prize slipped away. After a long pause, he finally muttered under his breath, "Damn, is being handsome really that desirable?"

……

Room 1902.

The familiar room, the familiar scent of perfume.

Xiao Xiyue had already taken off her business suit and changed into a black silk slip dress. Under the hem of the dress, her two long, fair legs were crossed, and she leaned lazily against the sofa.

Lu Hao glanced at her and said, "Are you thirsty again?"

"I'm bored and want to chat with someone." Xiao Xiyue picked up her wine glass and swirled it gently.

Lu Hao touched his nose and said sternly, "Chatting is fine, but nothing else."

Xiao Xiyue looked at Lu Hao with some surprise and confusion: "What, are you going to turn over a new leaf?"

"Cough cough..." Lu Hao choked on her words, and after a while, he said irritably, "So, in your eyes, I'm just a male model?"

"You're a little less than a male model," Xiao Xiyue said calmly, taking a sip of her drink. "Your emotional value isn't high enough."

"Oh, you actually ordered it? Otherwise, how would you know so much?"

"I heard it from someone else."

Lu Hao curled his lip, "Nobody would believe that."

He met Xiao Xiyue at a bar, and her private life was none of his business.

Seeing that Lu Hao didn't speak, Xiao Xiyue put down her wine glass, sat down next to him, and was about to put her hand on his shoulder.

Lu Hao reacted as if he had been electrocuted, suddenly dodging to the side and shifting the distance between them.

"Um... let's keep our distance." He looked at her seriously. "Just think of me as someone who's reformed and is ready to find a decent woman, get married, and have children."

As soon as he finished speaking, the temperature in the living room instantly dropped to freezing.